I am considering opening a LYS (that stands for "local yarn shop" for you non-fiber-crafters) in BRC next year. I'd be gifting my stash (I'm already stocking up on clearance stuff), the use of my pattern books and a bunch of knitting needles, as well as a social work area. During open hours I'd be available to teach basic knitting to beginners...perhaps I'll do a group project one afternoon. I could bring my felting materials as well, needle felting is pretty fun and easy.

Thoughts? Good idea/bad idea? Any fiber crafters out there want to help/participate/donate? I do not crochet, but I'd love to have a crochet expert involved to teach! Spinners would be welcome too!

Now...what to call it? Most yarn shops have clever, kitschy names...I'll have to come up with a good one!

Love this idea! Don't know how many extra knitting needles you have but wanted to mention the quick-fix DIY knitting needles: chop sticks. Just sharpen the end with a pencil sharpener and then smooth the sticks with sandpaper or, even easier, waxed paper. You can burn them when you're done with them, or saw off the ends and reuse them for eating! I think they're probably an 8 or 10, and great for knitting cotton dishrags.

Ah, thrift store! Guess I spend more time ordering in Asian food than visiting the thrift store, which is why I have so many extra chop sticks. I just don't have good "thrift eye": whenever I check out the craft area, all I see is acrylic yarn and half-done needlepoint kits. A friend knit a beautiful sweater from some hand-spun she found at a garage sale. Sigh.

and thanks fishie...i will begin keeping my eye out at thrifties. there's a factory seconds/loss leader store in indy called tuesday morning (do they have those in other cities? i LOVE that place.) that regularly has cheap yarn and needles, so i'll be scouting them out as well.

yeeeee, i'm getting excited already...wtf, it's not even new years yet!!

Last edited by havoc on Mon Nov 07, 2011 8:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

oh, another thing i was thinking about doing was hitting up goodwill when they're having some kind of daily special on sweaters and getting a bunch of nice ones to unravel and skein up. i know lots of people do this (with mixed success), but it sounds like a potentially great way to get some really nice yarns for really cheap.

I love this idea! I crocheted a set of fishnet stockings and a garterbelt for my post-apochalyptic-playa-explorer costume because I wanted something I could spin fire in and Wool and Cotton don't melt to your skin. But I still have a ton of yarn (Ok, maybe 75 lbs) I'll probably never use even if I lived to be 100, so I'd be happy to donate some of it.

Love this idea. We'll find you on the playa. Planning on bringing our knitting baskets for "something else to do" during the heat of the day that we can do while having cocktails and sitting in the shade!!

havoc wrote:I am considering opening a LYS (that stands for "local yarn shop" for you non-fiber-crafters) in BRC next year. I'd be gifting my stash (I'm already stocking up on clearance stuff), the use of my pattern books and a bunch of knitting needles, as well as a social work area. During open hours I'd be available to teach basic knitting to beginners...perhaps I'll do a group project one afternoon. I could bring my felting materials as well, needle felting is pretty fun and easy.

Thoughts? Good idea/bad idea? Any fiber crafters out there want to help/participate/donate? I do not crochet, but I'd love to have a crochet expert involved to teach! Spinners would be welcome too!

Now...what to call it? Most yarn shops have clever, kitschy names...I'll have to come up with a good one!

I'm no expert, but I can show up to crochet. And to contribute some yarn.

Cheyenne wrote:I can help with teaching an ancient style of knitting called 'Narlbinding' I have a bunch of bone needles that people can take away with them to practice their Narlbinding back at home...

lovely! i am now really quite excited about the prospect of meeting up with a bunch of fellow fiber nerds and getting some newbies hooked on knitting. i will definitely be posting about progress, and i must admit, i REALLY love the name "baa baa black rock".

My husband linked me to this thread a while ago (he's a veteran, and I'll be a virgin this year) and as we didn't know if we would have tickets, I didn't comment. Now that we know our trip is on, I would love to contribute to this venture! I knit and crochet (although I don't claim to be an expert at either) and would love to contribute yarn and possibly needles, and I could definitely help with teaching the basics.

we'll see what happens with me as far as tickets go. currently i do not have a ticket or a lead on getting one.

if i am unable to get a ticket, i would like to continue planning and funding the project if someone would be willing to actually put it up and run it in BRC. i would be willing to do the following:

- create and maintain camp roster & contact information- create and maintain a rough schedule/timeline of arrivals, build, classes, etc- complete the theme camp application (now that i have experience with it!)- distribute any early entry passes to people willing to build and set up- donate yarn, needles and laminated instruction sheets for those teaching classes (to be mailed to early arrivals)- allow the use of my existing infrastructure (costco barns, lighting & some playatech chairs), which is in a storage space in reno- possibly other items, such as signage, playatech storage furniture, etc., depending on need.

if anyone who has a ticket is interested in running with the idea, shoot me a PM. there seems to be enough interest that even if i don't make it out to the playa, this project might!

i found myself some tickets...AND an amazing partner to help me run the camp! as such, i'm happy to announce that Baa Baa Black Rock will be on the playa in 2012, and we are fairly certain we will be on or around the 9:00 plaza! we welcome all levels of fibercrafters to join us, and we would absolutely LOVE any contributions of yarn, needles, hooks, fiber and/or your valuable time and knowledge! <3

we are currently in the process of working up a schedule and set of patterns and snagging clearance yarn and needles wherever we can find them. stay tuned for more information about when we will be hosting classes, workshops and open circles!

additionally, if you (or someone you know) would be interested in leading a workshop or teaching a class, please get in touch with me via PM...we'd love to have you! we welcome ALL flavors of fibercraft: knitting, crochet, needle felting, spinning (although i can say i won't be bringing a wheel, lol) and whatever else your fertile imaginations can dream up!

thanks as always for all the love and support and we hope to be stitching it up with you come late august! <3